The Chilean earthquake of March 3, 1985, affected many masonry buildings. Because much Chilean masonry design is based on U.S. building codes, studying the earthquake performance of Chilean masonry buildings will help improve the safety and serviceability of masonry construction in the U.S. In this research project, the performance of a representative sample of Chilean masonry buildings will be documented, compared with that predicted by analysis, and evaluated with respect to U.S. building code assumptions. Based on the results of that evaluation, design and construction procedures will be suggested to improve the seismic resistance of U.S. masonry buildings.
